Robot cleaner and controlling method thereof

• US 9,914,219 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ju-sang, Kim, Hong-jun, Kang, Chin-woo, Song, Suk-hoon, Yoon, Hee-suk, Lee, Ki-yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/005,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160214260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 700245, 700253
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A robot cleaner based on wall following and a controlling method thereof are provided. The robot cleaner includes a first detector configured to generate a wall detection signal by detecting a wall, a second detector configured to generate a first contact signal through contact with the wall, a cleaner main body in which the first and second detectors are disposed and which includes a driver configured to drive on a surface to be cleaned, and a controller which is mounted on the cleaner main body and to which the first and second detectors and the driver are electrically coupled. The controller controls the driver so that the robot cleaner moving to one direction moves along the wall by the wall detection signal, the robot cleaner rotates to a first direction to be in contact with the wall in response to the first contact signal not being generated within a preset time, and the robot cleaner rotates to a second direction opposite to the first direction to be spaced from the wall in response to the generated first contact signal.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a first detector configured to generate a wall detection signal;

a second detector configured to generate a first contact signal through contact with a wall;

a cleaner main body in which the first and second detectors are disposed and which includes a driver configured to drive on a surface to be cleaned; and

a controller which is mounted on the cleaner main body and to which the first and second detectors and the driver are electrically coupled,

wherein the controller controls the driver so that the robot cleaner moving to one direction moves along the wall based on the wall detection signal, the robot cleaner rotates and moves in a first direction towards the wall to be in contact with the wall in response to the first contact signal not being generated within a preset time, and the robot cleaner rotates and moves in a second direction away from the wall to be spaced apart from the wall in response to the first contact signal being generated by the second detector.

2. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first detector includes a plurality of distance sensors disposed in a front of the cleaner main body.

3. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second detector includes:

a plurality of rotation units, the plurality of rotation units being elastically hinge-coupled to the cleaner main body and disposed to protrude more than an outer circumference of the cleaner main body;

a first sensor configured to generate the first contact signal; and

a second sensor configured to generate a second contact signal by detecting the plurality of rotation units rotated toward an inside of the cleaner main body by a preset angle after the first contact signal is generated.

4. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of rotation units rotate from an initial position in which the plurality of rotation units protrude more than the outer circumference of the cleaner main body to a position in which the second contact signal is generated through lead-in of the plurality of rotation units to the inside of the cleaner main body.

5. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein outer surfaces of the plurality of rotation units are curved to be protruded from the cleaner main body.

6. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first sensor is disposed in outer surfaces of the plurality of rotation units.

7. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first sensor includes at least one tactile sensor.

8. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first sensor is disposed in the cleaner main body, and is established in a position closer to the plurality of rotation units than the second sensor.

9. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first sensor is a photo sensor.

10. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second sensor is a micro switch configured to generate the second contact signal by being pressed by the plurality of rotation units.

11. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second sensor is a photo sensor configured to detect the plurality of rotation units which are led into the inside of the cleaner main body.

12. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein an auxiliary brush unit is rotatably coupled to a bottom of each of the plurality of rotation units.

13. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

detecting a wall through the robot cleaner moving to one direction;

moving the robot cleaner along the wall;

turning on a first sensor provided in the robot cleaner by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in a first direction towards the wall to be in contact with the wall in response to the first sensor not being turned on within a preset time;

turning off the first sensor by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in a second direction away from the wall with a first angular velocity while the robot cleaner moves; and

turning on the first sensor by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in the first direction to be in contact with the wall in response to the first sensor not being turned on within the preset time after the first sensor is turned off.

14. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

detecting a wall through the robot cleaner moving to one direction;

moving the robot cleaner along the wall;

turning on a first sensor provided in the robot cleaner by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in a first direction towards the wall to be in contact with the wall in response to the first sensor not being turned on within a preset time;

in response to a second sensor provided in the robot cleaner being turned on in a state where the first sensor is not turned off by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in a second direction away from the wall with a first angular velocity while the robot cleaner moves, sequentially turning off the second sensor and the first sensor by rotating the robot cleaner with a second angular velocity greater than the first angular velocity in the second direction; and

turning on the first sensor by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in the first direction to be in contact with the wall in response to the first sensor not being turned on within the preset time after the first sensor is turned off.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising allowing the robot cleaner to drive backward in response to an on state of the second sensor being maintained beyond a preset time after the second sensor is turned on and the first sensor is not turned off.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first angular velocity and the second angular velocity are linearly increased and reduced.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first angular velocity and the second angular velocity are increased and reduced according to angular accelerations linearly increased and reduced.

18. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

detecting a wall through the robot cleaner moving to one direction;

moving the robot cleaner along the wall;

turning on a first sensor provided in the robot cleaner by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in a first direction towards the wall to be in contact with the wall in response to the first sensor not being turned on within a preset time;

turning off the first sensor by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in a second direction away from the wall with a first angular velocity while the robot cleaner moves; and

turning on the first sensor by rotating and moving the robot cleaner in the first direction to be in contact with the wall in response to the first sensor not being turned on within the preset time after the first sensor is turned off,

the method further comprising rotating the robot cleaner to the one direction after a backward driving of the robot cleaner in response to a third sensor or a fourth sensor disposed in one side of the robot cleaner which is not in contact with the wall and configured to detect contact with an obstacle being turned on between the moving of the robot cleaner and the turning off of the first sensor.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising allowing the robot cleaner to approach the wall again by moving the robot cleaner rotated to the one direction forward.